A Long Time Coming · 7:55pm Apr 10th, 2017
I try not to pay too much attention to the upvote/downvote counter on my stories. It's more or less arbitrary. I certainly like seeing more green than red, and it tickles me when the upvotes tick, well, up. But what I live for are your comments, how you guys react to things I set up in the story, things you found funny or meaningful or sad. Advice and criticism. That's what I love waking up to.
But, I would be remiss if I said that I never focused on the counter. I try not to make a big deal about it, but there are certain milestones I need to acknowledge.
When I first posted Sunset of Time, Sunset wasn't even an official character yet. She had no tag here, and many thought she was an OC I made. I only had maybe a little over one hundred followers at the time, not even that. So, my story never even came close to the feature box. After a week, it had about fifteen upvotes.
Today, I logged on and saw my story, my child, my current Magnum Opus had finally ticked up to 1,000. It's something that I thought would never happen while I was on here. It would take a miracle for me to become that noticed with this story. Way back then, I thought I would just be happy if it got to 100. But here she is. The underdog. After a slow grind of three years, the first Sunset Shimmer story finally broke 1,000.
Being the first story I really committed to, the one where I realized that yes, this is what I want to do with my life, where I learned how to really become a better author and tell a story worth remembering... this is just a really high point for me.
I don't know how to celebrate other than saying thank you again. The story is over. I'm still hemming and hawing about a sequel, but I know in my heart of hearts, whatever comes next will not be half as good as this tale. I can say that thanks to some advice from Scipio Smith I am reinvigorated to try and spin this into an original novel and even tie it in to my overarching world.
In the meantime, all I can say is thank you. I couldn't have gotten here without all of you. And let this mark a lesson for anyone just starting out: if someone like me can get here, than you certainly can too. Go out and write the best story you can.
(I finally found the comic that started it all! Here!)
Cheers!
Grats, the story really does deserve it!
I remember when I first read that one and finished it...I legit had tears in my eyes at the end and I read it every now and again when I need inspiration or just want something good to read cause. I look forward to all your future work
congrats man.
Congratulations! I remember first reading it after seeing the recommendation for it on the last Sunset Day and it was the only one I hadn't read yet. Being a 200k plus behemoth that was written before the first Equestria Girls came out set off a few too many warning bells, but I finally caved and read it. I loved it, though I had a few problems with it (not sure why I never posted a final thoughts comment), most of which you've improved on or gotten rid of entirely in your newer stories. It was amazing to see how you nailed Sunset before she was even released and was a terrific emotional roller coaster. In the end, the only part that still nags at me is that Celestia did care for Sunset/Vesper like a daughter before she went evil, but when Twilight did the same thing, Sunset turned out great. The revelation that Celestia was motherly towards her really hurt the character and felt cheap.
Congratulations! Sunset of Time remains one of my favorite stories on this site. It's such a great adventure story and I'm glad to hear that it's reached 1,000.
Well done man.
I should read Sunset of Time at some point.
Congrats, man! Glad to see it hit that milestone and good luck going forward. I'm sure whatever you do will be just as amazing.
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Congratulations a thousand times over! You earned every single one of those counts. Every. Single. One.
I remember you mentioning this in the past. I'm utterly thrilled to hear that you're revisiting the idea. The sheer weight of this story deserves to be in print for the world to see. (And you'll always know that it started with ponies.)
There's nothing quite like that one special story where you find your calling. And you've got the chops to keep it going without end. I know this without any doubt in my mind. And I'm not just saying that because Sunset of Time happened to be the story to finally push me to start writing on here myself.
Congratulations again. You're awesome. And when you have those questions or doubts, come back here and remember this moment. You've got a thousand other people saying you're awesome.
You're definitely doing something right.
A distinction long coming and too long at that. How anyone could downvote such a masterpiece confounds me. Congratulations
Congrats.
Wow, I didn't even know this story existed, time for a reading marathon!
I have one folder named Best Stories. There are only two authors in this folder and currently only 5 stories. One of those authors and two of those stories are yours. You are without a doubt my favorite Sunset focused author in this fandom. I just wanted to say congratulations on your success.
Um I know you're probably not going to believe me but the person who ticked it over to a 1000? Well that was me. It really has earnt it though. I just hope to reach that same milestone some day.
Well done.
4491764 Well, Arcelia, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. And I believe someday you will!
I remember reading this story all that time ago. I saw it out of the blue right after I read Crusaders, Go! (which is a fantastic story that probably should be revisited sometime soon.
), and the first chapter drew me in like no other story that I can think of to this date. When you first had me edit for you, I am pretty sure that I started on Crusaders, Go!, but once I finally read what you had for Sunset of Time, I knew that you had something, a spark, if you will. All you needed was enough air for it to breath. I do not take credit whatsoever for it becoming as magnificent as it is today, but I do love when I look back at it and think, "Wow, I had a hand in creating something as amazing as this."
I would definitely say that of all the stories you have written, it is my favorite. On this site? Unfortunately, Short Skirts is a masterful assassin lemur with the words and such, so I cannot place you on top, but you are a solid two. I have yet to read something by someone or find someone who has such a great handle of story telling.
Remember when you rewrote Sunset's story that she told to the colts and fillies in the park? I am fairly sure that I never told you to redo that scene, but on of your own accord, you took the lead and revisited it and made it . . . awesome, for a lack of words. I can't describe to you how impressed I was. That's the moment I knew I was a part of something special.
So thank you for letting me be a part of that. Keep doing what you do, and I'd love to hear more about this novel you are adapting this into! I know we talked about sequels and such, but I never thought about creating a novel out of it. I am intrigued!
EDIT: Also, remember the old story art?
I am going to be honest, it's been too long for me to remember. I'm hoping you do because I want to know. I literally just thought about that.
Congrats!
This was one of the first long-form stories I followed as it was being written. I still remember the excitement when I saw a new chapter pop up. The theories we came up with. Good times.
This story deserves the 1k upvotes, for sure.
Congrats man. Wish I could claim to be that 1,000th upvote but that privilege belongs to Arcelia, I'm just number 999. Kinda wish I could be a bit salty about it but really I'm just happy to be apart of the huge group of people who got you here. Thanks for everything and congratulations.
(Been trying to comment this since this was posted but couldn't because of bad internet connection. Whelp what are you going to do. Anyways congrats.)
I'm not even active in this site anymore what am I doing here
Oh yeah I like SunLight.
I'm gonna be honest, the only reason I still check this site is your stuff. I remember reading Sunset of Time back in like, July 2015, and being completely in love with your writing, especially the way you handled Sunset! And then, I started Long Road to Friendship, and -- hold on the memories are coming back. All the joyous moments I spent reading (and rereading) your fics, man. I don't even watch the show anymore, but I'm here for stuff like Spectacular Seven (which I really should start, but then I remember the pain of waiting for the new LRtF chapter).
Sunset of Time is one of the best fics I've ever read in this site, and it's not really far from being my favorite piece of literature of all times. Keep up the good work, my fellow SunLighter!
I've only started reading your stories a few days ago after stumbling across them while looking for some good Sunset Shimmer work. I'm afraid I haven't read Sunset of Time but I fully intend to do so soon. Your stories have been perhaps the first real page-turners I've read on this site, there is not a dull moment and I always want to see what happens next. Also, I absolutely love your version of Sunset Shimmer from Long Road to Friendship.
So, in short, thank you so much for being an awesome writer.
That's 1007 very well-deserved likes. Cheers!
More than one thousand likes and still not nearly as much as it deserves.
Sunset of time is one of the best damn stories I've ever read nd by God I loved every word of it. It was a great tale and to me personally it was the story that finally made me prefer your interpretation of Sunset above the Canon one.
Don't get me wrong, canon Sunset is great and all, but your Sunset is just better. Sparky, smart, an awesome temper and still nice and with a good heart.
To me your Sunset is the best Sunset, thanks for giving us all those great stories about best human
4491764
Excellent work, my faithful student.
(That goes for you too, Albi)
Congrats! It's a really awesome feeling to hit a landmark like that.
4492305
Since when am I your faithful student? I knew we were friends but that doesn't make any sense.
Not to spoil your joy but I looked up the statistics of the Sunset Shimmer tag itself...
Congrats, your story is in the top Ten FIRST stories but it is not the FIRST Sunset Shimmer story (sorry)
What a killjoy I am
4552265 First Sunset Shimmer story written.